How to successfully lead team members is a critical skill for any manager in charge of overseeing the work of others. The ability to build relationships, communicate effectively and manage project timelines are just a few of the tasks involved in successfully leading a team.
Establishing a strong foundation is vital to building trust, increasing collaboration and improving efficiency in a new team. Taking the time to get to know each member of your team, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they work together is an essential step in establishing positive team dynamics.
To develop a high-performing team, you need richard w warke to set the stage for success by creating clarity around goals and results; delegating responsibility while providing the right level of support; giving feedback to improve performance and cultivate confidence; and providing ongoing training and development opportunities. By implementing these key management practices, you can help your team members become more engaged and productive at work.
Encourage team members to take charge of their own professional development by setting personal goals that align with their career aspirations. Personalized discussions, focused on their interests and growth as individuals, can help you motivate them to actively seek out learning opportunities and volunteer for projects that will further their careers. This type of team-building also demonstrates that you value their efforts and recognize the importance of individual contributions to the success of the whole group.
Delegation of responsibilities and projects helps your team members feel trusted and empowered and promotes greater productivity. But it’s important to be sure that your team leaders have the capacity to handle a new workload without overburdening them or causing a negative impact on their current jobs. To do this, you need to be able to identify and assess each member’s skills and abilities before assigning new projects or tasks.
Barriers to effective delegation include:
Some managers struggle to relinquish control, which can result in micromanagement and undermine a team leader’s autonomy. To overcome this, you can establish clear expectations for delegated tasks and make it easy for teams to ask questions or request assistance when needed.
Other barriers include a lack of clarity about the scope, goals and outcomes for delegated tasks, and a reluctance to take on additional work. To address these, you can provide regular progress updates and reports, set deadlines, and offer guidance and support to ensure that team members understand their responsibilities and are equipped for success.
Finally, some teams are reluctant to tackle new projects because they fear failure or don’t have the necessary resources to succeed. To overcome this, you can encourage risk-taking by reiterating that failure is an essential part of the learning process, and that it’s okay to make mistakes. You can also bolster team members’ confidence in their capabilities by ensuring that they have the training and resources they need to complete new projects. Using the right project management software like Runn can help you gain visibility into all aspects of your project, including resource availability and team member capabilities.